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This coming semester I will be continuing my study abroad trip to Ifrane, Morocco. I am very interested to experience a new culture and country. 

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I am studying at James Cook University next semester. James Cook is located in Townsville, Australia. I've travelled out of the country in the past, but Australia will be the furthest from home I've ever been. I love to go new places and experience new cultures, so I am very excited to be emerged in Australian way of life. One of the main reasons I wanted to study abroad at James Cook is the unique classes they are able to offer by being so close to the reef. Along with getting familiar with the Australian culture, I also want to get a good understanding for the Australia's unique ecosystem in shore and in the ocean. I hope to use my experiences at James Cook to polish my educational experience to prepare me for graduate school and a career in environmental science. 

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I will be studying at Lancaster University this next semester. I am so excited that I have this chance. I have loved England since I was very little. All of my favorite books and movies are set in England, and a fair amount of my favorite authors, such as J.K. Rowling and William Shakespeare, are from there. My dad even thinks that either I will come home with a British guy or I won't come home at all. My goal is to get all that I can out of this experience. I don't usually have the chance to travel, so I will also try to see as much as the world as I can. One of my main travel goals is to see the places of my ancestors. Most of my ancestors came from Ireland and Scotland, but my grandmother's grandmother was a lady in waiting for Queen Victoria. My education goals are to learn as much as I can. I also want to get a feel for uni in England. I am thinking about possibly going to grad school there, and this gives me the perfect opportunity to test the waters. 

Upon my return, I hope to be more outgoing than I am right now. I hope to be a more worldly person. And I hope to learn even more about England and its people. I already love it so much.

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Ever since I was little, I've always been fascinated by other cultures. I've always wanted to experience how other people live. When I was younger, I didn't really understand how people could live differently then I do, I didn't fully understand the concept of culture. Once I was old enough to understand the idea behind culture, I knew I wanted to study abroad. The only problem was deciding where. I learnt some French in pre-school and loved the way it sounded, when I started Spanish in 2nd grade, I discovered I liked French more so I started to teach myself French and fell in love with the language over the years and by the time I was 10 years old, I knew that I wanted to study abroad in France, particularly Paris. It became one of the biggest goals in my life to be able to finally go to Paris, not just for a vacation (although I never got to do that) but to live there, to see what the French way of life was really about. I came to Allegheny planning to go a broad my junior year and when I was accepted I was ecstatic. I would finally be able to go to France, be immersed in the culture. Sure, I had spent years in a classroom learning the language and about the culture but that’s not the best way to learn about other cultures in my opinion. I can't wait to go to Paris next semester, be immersed in the culture, meet new people, try new things. I really hope that I will grow as a person from this experience and if what I see happened to all of my friends who have studied abroad happens to me, then I am in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not only will I get to have amazing new experiences, but I will also be honing my language skills and will hopefully become fluent in French, a long-time goal of mine, along with seeing the one world landmark I have always wanted to see, the Eiffel Tower.

http://lifeus.info/the-interesting-things-of-eiffel-tower.html

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I'm going to spend spring of 2015 studying in Lancaster, England. This experience is one I've been hoping to achieve since first arriving at Allegheny. While I have an idea of what awaits me based on the experiences of those who've gone before me, I am leaving myself open to any and all experiences I can. I hope to learn and grow as a person, and understand the increasingly small world I live in better.

One definitive goal I have is to meet new people, and learn from them. The only way I'll be able to further learn about myself is if I learn from others. So going abroad is a logical step. I'm excited and nervous, but ready.

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I am one of the few study off-campus students that is not leaving the United States.  I will be studying marine biology and ecology at the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina.  However, my time at Beaufort will be anything but familiar or boring.  I will be living on an island on the Atlantic Ocean.  Additionally, I will completing a two week program in St. Johns, United States Virgin Islands (see picture above) during which I will study rare and tropical marine life.

Although I will not be immersed in a new culture in the way my peers will, I expect to have a life changing experience.  I am most looking forward to, and most nervous about, learning new things under world renowned marine biologists.  The approach will be very different than it is at Allegheny; it will be primarily hands-on, independently driven learning compared to the traditional classroom learning at Allegheny.  However, it will be similar to Allegheny overall.  I am also looking forward to the block scheduling at Duke in which we take one course at a time.  I believe this chance to fully indulge in one class at a time will allow deeper learning and less stress.  It will be particularly nice because I will not have four simultaneous cumulative finals to complete in May.

Similar to the international travelers, I will be living in a strange place and gaining a form of independence I did not have at Allegheny.  As my family lives in Pittsburgh, I have never been very far from home while at college, but this study away program will push me past my comfort zone in the same way it will other students.  I believe this will appropriately prepare me for graduate school.

Finally, I am most excited about seeing and studying tropical animals like sea turtles, sea horses, dolphins, etc.  As an aspiring ecologist, it has always been mildly disappointing to be restricted to the fauna and flora present in Western Pennsylvania.  I believe this experience will make me more passionate about my major and future career than every before.


When I return from Duke, I want to remember the research I have conducted and the personal strides I have made in gaining more independence and learning to adapt to new environments.

-Emily Graves

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For my study abroad experience, I will be going to Monteverde, Costa Rica. It's going to be awesome. I've traveled to different countries before, but only for short periods of time. This study abroad trip is so much different. I get to live in a different country for three months! The experiences I'll have, and the knowledge I'll gain are unfathomable. It will be very eye-opening to detach myself from the American lifestyle and completely immerse myself in a vastly different culture. I've never been in Central America before, so I have literally no idea what to expect.

I am really enthusiastic about living in a country that is world-renowned for their environmental conservation efforts. I am most looking forward to our field trips to the Cloud Forest right outside of Monteverde. I hear its muy bueno! I'm also very intrigued to see how I do with the Spanish language barrier. One of my main goals for this trip is to become proficient in the Spanish language (could be overly-optimistic). I also really hope that I get to play some "futbol" with some Costa Ricans. Lastly, I aim to learn key skills from this trip that I can use in a future professional career.

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Gifted as a natural 'people person' with a passion for the environment, I've spent my time at Allegheny looking for ways to balance human needs with environmental protection. This February I continue that search by studying at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies in Ketura, Israel where people from all over the world come together to try and figure out that same thing.

 

 I am excited at the potential that this trip holds. As Israel is a patchwork quilt of ideologies, religions, languages, and customs I will be exposed to many different cultures and to people with vastly different values and priorities. Given this, it will be imperative for me to learn how to adjust and adapt to working with all kinds of people; particularly as Ketura is only 200 people so everyone knows everyone!

A scene from the Kibbutz Ketura where the Arava Institute is located

My biggest professional goal while at Arava is to gain a better understanding of where I want my future to go. Currently, I'm thinking I want to do environmental remediation work (restoring the environment after pollution events), but I am well aware that is subject to change. The Arava Valley just had the worst man made natural disaster since Israel became a county--an oil spill which has contaminated most of the valley. This will be a prime opportunity to see whether remediation work is for me.

An aerial photograph capturing part of the oil spill

My biggest personal goal is to experience as much as I can. Currently, one of my best friends is studying in Israel, and she has loved her experience. I wish to follow some of what she has done, such as swim in the Dead Sea and Mediterranean Sea, as well as see new things for myself, such as visiting Jordan or Egypt or seeing a cultural performance. I hope to be able to look back on this experience with a better understanding of both cultures and myself as well as great memories, great photos, and some new great friends. 

Students of the Arava Institute

Until next time!

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Hello ~

I am going to be studying abroad at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia next semester. I am going to be taking courses that focus on marine biology, and JCU is the perfect place to take them! The Great Barrier Reef is really close to campus, and there are a lot of field classes that visit it frequently. I am really excited to visit a new country, and to experience the culture.

http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/624_351/images/live/p0/13/ky/p013kyy0.jpg

I am hoping to broaden my horizons, experiencing a new culture will definitely help with this. My father studied abroad in Australia for a year while he was in high school, and he always tells me stories about his time there. I'm really excited to see the country for myself. 

I cannot wait to arrive, I'm only worried about the bugs. 

I hear they're everywhere!

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Hello!

I will be studying abroad at James Cook University in Australia beginning in February. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of an experience that I believe will be life changing for me.

While in Australia, I will be focusing my studies on indigenous/aboriginal history and culture and hope to learn a lot about cross-cultural interaction and experience something different from what I am used to. I am also hoping to connect my work in Australia to my senior comprehensive project when I return to Allegheny, by using facets of Australian local government as a case study in my research.

Castle Hill - Townsville, Australia

As someone who wants to enter a career in politics, I think that all too often progress is limited because people are largely unaware of the experiences and lives of others, so I think that studying abroad will provide this unique insight for me and I am beyond excited to go.

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Hola! I am studying in Seville, Spain at the Cross Cultural Center next semester and I could not be more excited. I have never traveled outside of America so I am ultimately hoping to come back from my study abroad experience with a new perspective of the world as well as a more confident Spanish speaker. Spain has been my dream since I started taking Spanish in first grade and I finally will be able to explore the land where the Spanish language began. My goals while in Spain include immersing myself in the culture while improving and expanding upon my Spanish skills. Along with this, I cannot wait to travel to all the places that I have learned about for so long. I want to go to Madrid, the capital, to see the Royal Palace as well as the Parque del Retiro. I can't wait to travel to Barcelona to see La Sagrada Familia, but most importantly I cannot wait to explore Sevilla, my home for the next semester. 

File:Plaza_Virgen_de_los_Reyes,_Seville,_Spain_-_Sep_2009.jpg

When I come back from Spain I want to look back on all my adventures and new experiences and use them in my Allegheny education as well as my future career as a physician.

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I'm going to be studying at Lancaster University in the UK next semester and I couldn't be more excited. I've been talking to friends in England asking them what I NEED to see while I'm there and I've gotten some very specific instructions to visit a particular milkshake shop so I'm looking forward to that.

I have some very abstract goals in regards to what I want to achieve while I'm away. I want to connect with new people, I want to become less shy, I'm hoping to build up some self confidence while I'm away, but again, abstract goals.

More specifically I want to pay a visit to the Globe Theatre in London and explore Stratford-upon-Avon. Anyone who has ever spoken to me for more than five minutes probably knows about my love affair with Shakespeare's plays, but I want to use this trip as a test. I want to see how I do in England, if it's a place I could spend a few more years studying Shakespeare in. If I survive this trip in once piece I'll know I've made a serious positive step towards my future, so lets see how this goes!

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I will be studying at James Cook University in Australia next semester. When I return from my study abroad experience, I hope to look back and find that I have grown on an academic, professional, and personal level in ways I could never imagine. I have never traveled out of the US before, so ultimately, I want to broaden my horizons and learn to see the world in a new light. I have always wanted to travel, especially to Australia, to learn about different cultures and environments. Australia has so much to offer in it's diverse landscapes and indigenous people that I will have no problem finding exciting areas to explore. A few places I want to visit are the Great Barrier Reef and Uluru (Ayers Rock) because they are natural symbols of the unique environments found in Australia.

http://www.acfonline.org.au/about-us/our-success-stories/conserving-great-barrier

http://thefabweb.com/77351/world-famous-places-to-see-before-you-pass-away/

I also hope to return with new knowledge on how another country operates and views Americans and the US, especially in the field of medicine. This experience will help me learn more about myself, become more independent and confident, and create a well-rounded individual. Overall, my study abroad experience will, hopefully, set me apart from other medical school applicants and show qualities necessary for being a successful physician along with giving me a learning experience I will never forget!

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I'm going to study at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. The most important thing that I look forward to this journey is that I can get to learn something. Learning can sometimes be easy and other times can be hard. However, in my country, Vietnam, there is an idiom, “Whenever you go somewhere, you learn something.”Indeed, I believe the fact that I will step out of my comfort zone and explore a "strange" place would be an easy learning because all I need to do is keep my mind fresh and ready to absorb knowledge of all kinds. It is an interesting thing to do for an adventurer like me. Moreover, even I am aware that there can be both positive and negative experiences waiting for me, the idea that "at least I got to learn something" would help me stay optimistic and enjoy the "gain" that staying home could not give me.

Besides my abstract philosophical thinking about traveling, I also have a few plans for my destination, Australia. I always love animals and nature in general. Australia is such a country of beautiful and amazing nature which have been attractive to me a lot. I eager to see them myself, enjoy whatever in front of my eyes and learn from there, especially the uniqueness of Australian natural landscapes, forests, and animal kingdoms.

Lastly (for now), I am excited that I would get understand the Australian educational system for my future reference after Allegheny College.

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I'm going to be studying at Lancaster University in the UK next semester and I couldn't be more excited. I've been talking to friends in England asking them what I NEED to see while I'm there and I've gotten some very specific instructions to visit a milkshake shop so I'm looking forward to that.

I have some very abstract goals in regards to what I want to achieve while I'm away. I want to connect with new people, I want to become less shy, I'm hoping to build up some self confidence while I'm away, but again, abstract goals.

More specifically I want to pay a visit to the Globe Theatre in London and explore Stratford-upon-Avon. Anyone who has ever spoken to me for more than five minutes probably knows about my love affair with Shakespeare's plays, but I want to use this trip as a test. I want to see how I do in England, if it's a place I could spend a few more years studying Shakespeare in. If I survive this trip in once piece I'll know I've made a serious positive step towards my future, so lets see how this goes!

Test Entry: Deadline - Dec. 22, 2014

This is your opportunity to test some of the blogging skills that you learnt during the pre-departure sessions.   Use this post to capture the image and feeling you wish to look back to at the end of this journey.

Please make sure your subject header states: "Test Entry" and please use your Allegheny College email ID so I can identify who you are. Thank you!

Deadline: Dec. 22, 2014.